Ket Maliss
=Description= Ket Maliss (26 BBY) is not typical of most Trandoshans. Without a doubt, he is everything that a Trandoshan should be...and yet, he is something completely different. There are few creatures in the galaxy with any claim to understanding him, but they would all agree that he is unique among his species. To begin, he exhibits every quality that any other Trandoshan exhibits. He's aggressive, quick to anger, quick to react, keeps a tally of his kills for the Scorekeeper, and loves a good challenge. The feel of flesh and the smell of blood intoxicates him, and yet it is here that he also starts to seperate himself from his brethren. Ket realized growing up that surviving in a galaxy as intolerant and merciless as the one he lived in would require more than claws and teeth...more than muscles and blaster paks...more than a Trandoshan's standard view of things. It would require intelligence and a systematic approach to things, and it is with this in mind that he tackled every challenge, faced every obstacle...and he became something greater than he had ever dared dream, something far more dangerous. Trandoshans have a few general characteristics...they have amazing regenerative abilities, they have hardened scales that can shrug off most physical contact...and they have a bloodlust, which when completely unfettered, can turn them into remarkable killing machines. This bloodlust comes at the cost of clarity, for the rage takes over everything else until the violence, the savage brutality of the killing blows become everything to the Trandoshan. Ket learned fairly quickly that this would lead to a quick death, and he turned his skills and intelligence to controlling his natural bloodlust, and it was this act that seperated him from his brothers and set him on the road to his destiny. =Appearance= Ket Maliss doesn't wear much armor in the traditional sense, believing it cumbersome. As such, he subscribes to the school of "less is more", and prefers more lightweight protectorates. Starting with a pair of black flightpants leading into a black undertunic, he wears a lightweight rancorhide vest, believing that any creature with skin tough enough to resist limited blaster fire is good enough for him. Following with the rancor theme, he had two rancor fangs from the very rancor he slew for the vest sowed into the right and left shoulder pads of the vest...a stylish look, and a practical last-minute weapon. As a result of a recent skirmish with his son, he only has one remaining tooth left on the left shoulderpad. He carries a modified pulse rifle in a holster on his back, usually has a pouch around his waist containing a few grenades, and a wrist-communicator on his right wrist, which has been modified with a few bounty hunter-type gadgets. =Skills= Ket has the aforementioned control of his bloodlust, but due to Imperial tampering his strength while in the grip of his bloodlust has been enhanced, the nuerological impact of the bloodlust itself has been increased, and his regenerative abilities were increased by roughly twenty to thirty percent. Bloodlust Before learning to control his natural bloodlust and rage, Ket would lose his mind in the grip of his anger. There was no clarity, no thought, nothing but a red tunnel with whoever was at the receiving end of his rage at the end of it. With control came a world of new possibilities...the mindlessness had made him reckless, prone to mistakes no rational being would make...but control of the bloodlust turned the tables...he learned to use his strength and his rage even while his blood burned to make cold and rational choices in the thick of battle. After the Empire's pet Harken got a hold of him and took him to the Beta Base Research Station, neurological experiments were done on him and the end result was an amplified bloodlust...a quicker, harder hitting release of the biological chemicals that drove his rage, and without the aid of Skarrek he would never have figured out how to control this newfound, enhanced bloodlust. Regeneration Every Trandoshan has the ability to regenerate wounds or lost limbs, given enough time. The Empire, courtesy of the Beta Base Research Station, put aside their dislike of aliens, and were experimenting on several subjects...Trandoshans among them. Among other attributes, his regenerative abilities were impacted and tweaked...and short of decapitation, he can recover from most wounds that would fell even the toughest Trandoshan. Strength Once again, courtesy of Beta Base and the Empire...Ket has an enhanced strength that while already impressive, puts him a little above a Wookiee when his bloodlust is at it's peak. =History= Early Life He does not remember much of his early days, save a few specific details. He knows that Ket Maliss is not his birthname, but he cannot recall who he was born as; he views it was unimportant, as the name he took carries far more meaning to him. He started off as most Trandoshans...bloodthirsty and hungry. Having survived his siblings he grew up on Dosha with a life similar to every other Trandoshan, until the day an offworld assassin arrived. The young Trandoshan found this calling familiar to him in a way he couldn't put a finger on, short of recognizing that it involved murder. After an unexpected approval from the Dashade assassin, the Trandoshan left Dosha to learn what he could of the galaxy, and after a short period of time cultivating his skills and learning what the Dashade had to offer...he left to make his own way...taking the name and blessing of the creature he respected so much. The Morning Star Shortly after this and doing a few odd jobs and arena battles to hone his skills, Ket came upon a request for a security head on a dreadnaught named the Morning Star. He spent a considerable time here, and when the crew finally went it's various ways, Ket left behind the first beings he would ever call allies. The Red Star Alliance It was shortly after this that a call sounded throughout the galaxy, a call for anyone of skills that the Alliance couldn't handle and the Empire didn't want, and Ket readily answered it. A young rich entreprenuer by the name of Talon Karde was putting together an organization of like-minded invidividuals interested in creating a self-sustaining family of less than reputable quality, and Ket found himself at Karde's side as his bodyguard. What started as a small family quickly grew large enough that a system of operations needed to be found, and the Chren System was discovered...a small cluster of five habitable planets. Governorship of each planet was given to elected members of the RSA, and Ket found himself serving not only as Karde's bodyguard, but soon he was also tasked with heading the planetary defense force, as well as governorship of the forest planet Junrest. Putting his oldest friend and closest confidante Borovssk in charge of the day to day operations on Junrest, an underground base five levels deep was built, as well as the planetary defenses necessary to defend it for a limited time. The RSA had wealthy members, and it's leader was chief among them. Using these assets Ket made contact with several partners to aid in the defense of the system. During these discussions, he met Zariah Preaves and Vincent Draxcis, who would one day take over as head of the RSA's defense fleet. As was the case with any organization that grew too large, the Empire eventually took more than passing notice of the RSA, and a long and bloody struggle would ensue. Numerous campaigns would be fought, both in and outside of the Chren System...the attacks were spearheaded by two particular imperials; a rogue by the name of Sylkud Brainiard, and a crazed Dark Jedi who also happened to be the Imperial Regent...her name was Ansara Bansari. Slow Burn The catalyst for the disbanding of the RSA came in one of the final battles between the Empire and the Red Star Alliance...except they were not the only two powerhouses involved. The Rebel Alliance found itself there, as did the Red Dagger Fleet and numerous other individuals that the RSA called allies. It seemed that Karde had gotten himself into some trouble with the Empire after stealing some rather sensitive information, and they had dispatched bounty hunters to capture him. Karde was being held onboard the Regent's flagship, and whilst a massive aerial battle raged outside, Ket, the first of his android series KM-1, and one of Cadden Blackthorne's replicant droids, Black one-eighteen, set off on a daring suicidal rescue mission. Amist the clutter of starship fire, turbolaser batteries and burning ships around them, they managed to make in into the hanger bay of the flagship and fight their way towards Karde and his captor, Delth Ardin, who preferred to be known as the Red Viper. Black one-eighteen dropped a stun grenade, effectively disabling Ardin and giving the trio time to escape. Pursuit was hot on their heels, and at a critical juncture KM-1 detonated himself to give Ket, Karde and Black one-eighteen time to escape. Departure from the Star Destroyer was not easy, but they were able to get away. Shortly after this, Karde announced he was leaving the RSA and disappearing for a time to collect himself, leaving the RSA without a leader, and Ket without a clear mission. It wasn't long before the RSA started to dissolve, and it's remaining loyal members decided a replacement leader needed to step up. After another round of voting, Ket found himself in a position of leadership he wasn't sure he could handle, and the slow death of the RSA continued. The galaxy was changing and a tentative peace was made with the Imperials, but one by one the members of the Red Star Alliance started to go their seperate ways, and Ket decided perhaps it was time he returned home as well. Beta Base Ket found himself increasingly anxious...with no clear objectives anymore he looked for work in all the old places, chief among them bounties and mercenary jobs. One of these led him right into the hands of the Empire and one of it's most sadistic dogs, Admiral Harken, who spearheaded a remote and distant research facility codenamed Beta Base. He fought and rebelled as long as he could, holding out that somebody would notice him missing...but though he was noticed, not a clue as to his whereabouts could be found. Thus it was that the outside world began to believe him dead, while inside Beta Base, Harken began the systematic process of destroying the Ket Maliss that was, and creating the Ket Maliss that would be. Harken wanted a super soldier, and he saw in Ket what he wanted, if it could be controlled. Mind controlling substances were rejected, as Ket's own regenerative abilities made any tampering shortlived. The neurological consequences were underestimated though, for as they experimented with the Trandoshan and enhanced his strength and bloodlust...the effects of the constant manipulation of his mind and consequent rejection of it began to make him crazy. He began to live in a hazy world of red mist and blood, drifting in and out of reality in a constant fight with the mind-altering substances. The enhanced regeneration ultimately beat out the drugs, and after going into a rage and slaughtering a helpless Camaasi that Ket began to realize what he had become. Embracing the Empire's tampering, he changed his outlook on what had happened to him. The experiments became a gift, and he utilized the first opportunity Harken gave him to savagely lash out at his captors. The walls of Beta Base were painted red by the time he made it to the comm station and summoned help. Return to Life Ket was not the same creature he had been before...the Empire's tampering caused him to drift in and out of a psychotic frame of mind, and he found he could no longer control his bloodlust the way he had previously been able to. He sequestered himself in the forests of Junrest, for fear of what he would do to those around him...and more than once he would find himself with blood dripping from his claws, and the mutilated carcass of some jungle creature at his feet. Eventually he regained some semblance of who he had been, though the memories of what he had done to the peaceful Camaasi still haunted him. He returned to civilization a different creature, more peaceful than before. His friend Borovssk couldn't stand the sight of the once proud Trandoshan reduced to such a humble wreck, and he put out a secret call for someone to beat Ket to within an inch of his life, in the hopes that a fight for his life would rekindle in the Trandoshan something that appeared to have died. Borovssk called it tough love, and a Barabel named Skarrek answered it's call. Initially, Ket had no interest in fighting, and despite the objective to beat him to "within an inch of his life", Skarrek felt that if Ket couldn't defend his life, he wasn't worthy to own it. With this mentality, Skarrek effectively awoke something in Ket that had been dormant since before Beta Base...a hunger, a desire to live..but he also awoke the bloodlust, and without the control he had previously used to keep himself in check while lost within it...it was Ket who almost killed Skarrek. At the brink of a killing blow he remembered himself, and Skarrek offered advice on how to live with Imperial tampering, having been the subject of their "tender care" before. In return, Ket offered what he could recall of controlling his own bloodlust, and the the two parted ways with a newfound appreciation of the other...Skarrek having found an equal, and Ket an ally in someone he would never have expected. To Hunt Again Ket spent the next several months fighting to find himself again. During this time he took various odd jobs, and slowly learned to control this new enhanced bloodlust, and he began to appreciate exactly what had been done to him, and how to use it to his advantage. Eventually he came across a rather lucrative bounty, and he couldn't ignore it. A price was put on Skarrek's head after a brutal murder, and Ket found himself racing against several other bounty hunters to locate the Barabel. With the history between the two of them however, Ket was still unsure what exactly he planned to do when he caught up to Skarrek. At the very least, he knew that Skarrek would not die easy...but if he had to go, it would be best if it was at his hands, rather than a foreign blaster bolt at the hands of an idiot. Ket would have felt the same way, had the roles been reversed. After a long manhunt and an even crazier speeder chase, Ket caught up Skarrek and an Arkanian female who was accompanying him. After another long and brutal battle, Ket would find himself on the losing end of this fight...but Skarrek spared him, explaining that he had been framed for a murder he did not commit, and left it up to Ket to decide what he would do. With his newfound knowledge, Ket decided that the credits from the bounty were not enough to continue an unhonorable fight against one of the only creatures he respected, and he turned his abilities towards aiding Skarrek in the quest to clear his name. Ket left the two there for a time to uncover the mystery of Skarrek's frame, and met up with them on Halowan in time to storm the mastermind's base. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Skarrek's newfound control over his abilities coupled with Ket's own...they did what they did best, and when it was all over Skarrek surprised Ket with a request to become blood brothers, which he accepted. After a short ceremony, the two parted ways...and Ket discovered a kindred spirit and the closest thing to a family member he had short of Borovssk. Joryssk While Ket was off Junrest aiding Skarrek in his quest to clear his name, an unfamiliar face found its way into the Chren System and into Junrest airspace. Halted at the borders by the defense fleet, the pilot of the unknown ship gave his name as Joryssk Maliss, and thus set in motion the wheels of anarchy and rebellion. Since the collapse of the Red Star Alliance, Ket's small militia on Junrest had grown increasingly inactive and uneasy. They were mostly Trandoshans, but irregardless of their race, they longed for combat again. They longed for the glory days of battle against the Empire, against anybody...and their last memory of their leader was that of an aging, fading has-been succumbing to apparent dementia and not strong enough to reclaim his former glory, much less lead them to something greater. In short...they were ripe for new blood, and that new blood came in the form of this new, young Maliss...an heir-apparent, though noone had ever heard of a daliance between Ket and a woman. Borovssk ran Joryssk through numerous tests though, and in the end...his story checked out, and Joryssk used Ket's time away as an opportunity to discover that life on Junrest was not happy, and neither were Ket's underlings. He promised them a new life, and ever a creature of fortune...Borovssk went along. When Ket parted ways with Skarrek, he received a message from Borovssk informing him of his son...though not his son's plans. He warned Ket once that Joryssk was tricky, though Ket completely missed the underlying message, and returned home to Junrest to find the son he never knew awaiting him. It wasn't long before Joryssk set in motion the trap, and Borovssk baited Ket into it. A mammoth battle ensued, with heavy injuries to both sides doled out over the course of it...but with the aid of well-timed blasterfire courtesy of Borovssk...Joryssk found himself on the verge of killing his father. Ket was not entirely without his tricks though, and even as his life slipped from him, he held on long enough to key in the code on his wrist-comm to summon the last of his replica androids, whose timely entrance prevented Joryssk from tearing Ket's throat out. Dropping a smoke and gas grenade, the android whisked Ket away in his Trilon Aggressor and fled Junrest, and when Borovssk and Joryssk woke up...they discovered Ket long gone. Joryssk made a full recovery...in part due to his regeneration; in part due to the medical level of the base he stole from his father during the takeover. Ket has not been seen since, and is believed dead. =Somewhere in the Timeline= Ket has taken part in the hunt for the Black Plague, participated in a handful of arena battles, operated the Galactic Procurement Company, found himself involved a few non-RSA related events, fought with Bansari time and again, usually on the Chicken Tonight show hosted by Rikard Biel, and had to regenerate a few body parts when her lightsaber made contact. =Active Threads= The Xen'Chi Invasion: Rogue Fleet Category:TrandoshansCategory:Bounty Hunters